Star Crossed Lovers
by prettycharmedsista
Summary: Fate works in mysterious ways. Sometimes two souls are intertwined by destiny, and are bonded through time. We know what happened after Cole met Phoebe, but what about before?
1. February 1924

**A/N: Here's a story that I've been toying with. Not your typical Phoebe/Cole love story, this will be a bit different, and more Cole-centric. It won't be very long, probably 3-4 chapters long. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or its characters**

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_February 16__th__ 1924_

As hard as he tried, he couldn't escape this city. Belthazor stood in the shadows of the Golden Gate Bridge and stared out at the Bay. He hated this place so much. It was the only place he felt pain, human pain.

He had grown up in Europe, France mostly, as his mother had kept him away from the Source. A half human would never have survived under such a purist, she had told him. But the Source had been overthrown, and the new Source had many plans. The plans were based around power, and he didn't care who had it. Once he had learned of Belthazor, a new idea formed in his head. Belthazor and his mother were summoned to the Underworld, and Belthazor was quickly sent on his way up the hierarchy. He enjoyed the life of a hit man. The pleasure of the kill, was matched by the pleasure of moving from place to place, never long enough for his human side to form any attachment. But now there was a new plan. A plan involving San Francisco, and he could no longer run away from the memories.

A green demon shimmered in beside him. She opens her arms, and envelops Belthazor in a hug.

"My, Belthazor, look at you! You've grown so powerful!" she crooned. "Welcome home."

"It is good to see you too, Mother," Belthazor replied.

"I'm so proud of you. Part of the Brotherhood of the Thorn! You will be the Source's right hand in no time. You have been briefed on your new assignment?"

"Yes Mother. I will join UCSF law school this fall. I am to find accommodation, and create an identity here before then."

"Perfect. To think your human half is an asset! Your father would have been proud that you're going to law school."

Belthazor growled. There was that pang again. As much as he could suppress his human half, that was one thing he could never stop. He hated this city. He could never forget his father here.

"Oh for hell's sake, control yourself Belthazor. Remember, no weaknesses. Now the Source has a second job for you. Here." She passed him a folder. He scanned through it and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"A warlock? Attempting to gain such power? This is acceptable to the Source?" Belthazor asked shocked.

"Ours is not to question," his mother admonished. "The Source wants that coven severed, one way or another. Your role is to oversee the warlock's plans, and ensure that the witches do not reunite. This is very important to the Source."

"It shall be done, Mother."

* * *

The next day, Cole Turner stood outside the burgundy house on Prescott Street. He watched as a couple passionately kissed against one of the walls. As the woman walked inside, he joined the man on the porch.

"So you have bedded the witch, Anton. Are you in love?" Cole smirked at the warlock.

"Belthazor, it's an honour," Anton bowed his head. "No I don't love the witch. I am a warlock after all. I merely love her body, and her power. But enough about me, what is it that I can do for you, and the Source?" Cole's eyes narrowed. He didn't trust this guy at all, but he decided to listen to his mother, and follow the Source's orders.

"I'm new to this town, and I needed to assimilate. I was curious about this speakeasy. I thought it wise to mingle with the mortals here." He clapped Anton on the back. "Don't worry, I have no interest in your witch."

Anton looked at him suspiciously, but shrugged and walked down the steps to the street. "I will see you later Belthazor. Enjoy yourself. This is a fun town."

Cole watched his retreating back, and walked inside. He observed men and women enjoying themselves. There was a fortune teller in one corner, and a photographer working, all set to the background music of a piano melody. He leaned against a wall, just watching the action unfold, as a woman in a red dress rushed past him.

His eyes were drawn to her perfect body, and they crept up her long slender legs, noticing her hour-glass figure, her well endowed chest and landed on her beautiful face. As he was captivated by her beauty, he realised this was Anton's witch. Their eyes connected, just for a second, and he felt his heart jump. It was a strange feeling, far from the lust he had experienced thus far in his life. Maybe he had to work harder to control his human half. Or maybe there was something about her... He shook his head. Anton claimed her first. Maybe in another life.

He watched the witch meet with another woman in a blue dress. At that exact moment he sensed Anton return. Cole noticed he had taken the face of another man, and was talking to a third woman. Suddenly, the pleasant environment soured, and chaos ensued. Anton revealed himself, and knocked out the piano player. The crowd began to flee, and Cole moved with them, before making himself invisible, allowing him to watch undetected.

Anton and his witch appeared to have the upper hand, when the momentum swung. Anton was trapped under a grandfather clock, and his witch was being choked by the other two. Cole considered stepping in. But it was his job to see this coven split. While the original plan was for the other two to die, the Source had made it clear that as long as one of the witches was killed, the plan would be a success. It didn't hurt that Anton would be vanquished too.

The two good witches said a spell, and the third struggled before finally being vanquished. Cole felt a sharp pain in his chest. A stabbing that tore his heart. He clutched his chest and dropped to his knees, still invisible. Before he could cry out, he managed to shimmer himself to a corner of the Underworld, where he let out an anguished scream. What was that pain he had felt? It was worse than even the pain of losing his father. Who was that witch?

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**Tell me what you think!**


	2. February 1978

**A/N: Thanks Joleca for your thoughts :) This is more of a series of one-shots, that's why it won't be very long. I'll try and think of some more though! Let me know if you guys have any other ideas along these lines and I'll try and include them.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or any of its characters**

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_February 26__th__ 1978_

Cole hadn't been back to San Francisco in 50 years. After his mother had been vanquished years ago, he no longer had ties to the city, and had continued on his path. He had proved himself quite reliable, and had a 97.5% kill rate. He had been entrusted with the most important jobs, and relished the rewards for his service. His latest target was a witch working as a waitress. He didn't know who she was, or why she was important, but of course it wasn't his job to ask questions.

He walked into the small diner, and sat in a corner booth with his newspaper. It was a well established routine. As he pretended to scan the paper, he would actually scan his surroundings. A young woman matching the photo he was given came to his table.

"How can I help you?" she smiled brightly at him.

"Well," he said cheerfully, "I think I'm in the mood for some pancakes. My mother used to make the best blueberry pancakes before she passed away. Do you make them?"

"Sure honey," Patty smiled sympathetically. "One stack of blueberry pancakes coming right up."

"I'm Cole, by the way." He stuck out his hand, and she hesitantly took it.

"I'm Patty. Nice to meet you Cole."

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Cole spent the morning at the diner, eating pancakes and chatting to Patty. He found out her shift ended at 3, so he left around 1, and watched the diner from his car. Waiting was never Cole's strong suit, and he was tempted to go back in, corner her, and stab her with an athame. He had orders though, and he knew better than to ignore them. He would wait till she left the diner, and then lure her to a secluded area. Belthazor never left bodies or witnesses behind.

He checked the clock on his dashboard. It was 2:30. He was deciding which way he would kill Patty, when he noticed an older woman with three children enter the diner. Through the window he could see the three girls run and hug Patty. So she was a mother? Then he would kill her with an energy ball. Maybe it was the human in him, but there was something about parents that made him uneasy about stabbing them. He much preferred the distant, impersonal kill.

Cole waited for another 20 minutes, when he realised he may have a problem. Patty's family were still in the diner, and it was becoming obvious that when she finished work, they would all leave together. He had no choice but to kill them all, but how would he lure them all away to somewhere less public? This was getting too complicated for a quick in-out job. His pride was the only thing stopping him from walking away and trying again the next day.

As he was trying to work out a plan, Patty and her family walked out of the diner.

"I'll see you at home, Mother," Patty waved at her mother with one hand, while carrying a toddler with the other arm. "Come on baby," she smiled at the little girl, "It's your turn to come in Mummy's car."

"Yay!" shouted the little girl. She turned and waved at her sisters with a huge smile on her face. "Poo, Piper! My turn!" Her sisters were clearly not happy, but followed their grandmother to her car.

Cole perked up as he watched the scene unfold. This was his chance after all. He got out of the car and followed his target to her car. For her misfortune, Patty had parked in a deserted lot, surrounded by trees.

'_Perfect,'_ thought Cole. He shimmered behind the trees, and turned back into Belthazor. As Patty reached the car, her daughter suddenly began to cry. Belthazor watched Patty look down in concern, and then suddenly she was looking around in fear, clutching her daughter tightly to her chest. He seized his moment and shimmered right in front of them, bouncing an energy ball in his palm. He was about to throw it, right at Patty's chest, when he was startled by a loud wail. His chest tightened and he hesitated just for a second, which was long enough for Patty to wave her free hand at him. The next thing he knew, the two of them were gone, and he was alone in the parking lot.

'_What the hell just happened?'_ Belthazor wondered in annoyance. He had never missed a golden opportunity like that before. He had killed plenty of children in the past without blinking. It wasn't like his soft spot for parents. And what was that feeling in his chest? It was like someone was squeezing his heart. It was unusual for him to experience human emotions in this body, let alone at such intensity. He was extremely grateful the Source had given him three days to complete this assignment. Clearly Patty was a powerful witch, as he was immune to many witch powers, but was still frozen by her. He would try again tomorrow, and this time he would not fail.

* * *

The next day, Belthazor waited in the parking lot at 6 am. He wanted to complete the job as early as possible and wanted to catch her before she went to work. This time he had a plan. Patty's car pulled up to the lot, and she got out with her youngest daughter.

Belthazor growled to himself, _'Not the child again! Well, never mind, I will finish the job this time.' _He hurled an energy ball at them, and Patty just managed to duck in time. Belthazor quickly shimmered behind them, and wound his arms around them tightly, preventing Patty from freezing him.

"Not this time witch," he grinned, baring his teeth. He shimmered them to his spot, under the Golden Gate Bridge, and threw Patty against one of the supports, knocking her out cold. Her daughter, still conscious, began crying again, and shrunk into her mother's side as he approached. The strange feeling in his chest returned, and he looked at her curiously. Patty was not going anywhere, anytime soon, so he focused his attention on the girl. Picking her up with both hands, he stared into her big, brown eyes. There was something familiar about them, and something about them made him feel safe. What surprised him further was that picking her up had soothed the child as well, and she was looking at him intently. She suddenly shut her eyes, and gasped. Belthazor dropped her out of shock, but luckily caught her before she hit the ground. She still had her eyes closed, and Belthazor wondered for a moment if he had hurt her in some way. Although he would end up killing her anyway, the thought of harming this little girl inexplicably upset him. Then, without warning, the little girl opened her eyes, and flung her tiny arms around his neck.

"Pwince," she giggled, nuzzling her face into his rough red skin. Belthazor froze, stunned by her display of affection.

"Me love you too Cole," she laughed, pulling back to look him in the eyes. His heart fluttered a little, before it dropped. How could this witch child know his human name? He set her down on the ground, and backed away slowly, forming an energy ball in his hand.

"No!" whined the girl. "Pease?" She raised her arms, indicating that she wanted to be carried again.

A part of him longed to lift her up, and cuddle her again, but another part was terrified of this child, and the feelings she was evoking in him. He drew his hand back, and was about to throw the ball at her, when he saw tears well up in her eyes, and her lower lip begin to tremble.

"No! Cole good! Cole good!" she cried.

His hands were shaking as he tried to throw the energy ball at her again, when suddenly he was blinded by bright lights. As his vision regained focus, he saw they had been joined by Patty's mother, and a middle aged man. Before he could notice anything else, he was flung off his feet, and his back slammed hard against the side of a dumpster. He got up and was thrown backwards again. So Patty's mother had the power of telekinesis. This surely was a strong coven of witches. No wonder the Source was targeting them. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the man, a Whitelighter he presumed, standing over Patty's body. He was about to be outnumbered, but he was not about to fail again. He threw an energy ball at Patty's mother, who swiftly deflected it back at him. He shimmered away behind her, only to be hit in the head by a plank of wood. Momentarily stunned, he felt a vial being thrown against him. Smoke billowed around him, and he roared in pain, but he withstood it, to hear a gasp.

"That was my strongest potion!" The older witch yelled in surprise. "Who is that Sam?"

"It's Belthazor! I've only ever heard of his legend! Penny, we should go now!" The man, now supporting Patty with one arm orbed over to the child, whom Belthazor had temporarily forgotten.

"Get them out of here Sam," Penny called out. "Belthazor and I have some business to attend to." She used her power to fling a lead pipe at Belthazor, who caught it and threw it back. Penny just dodged it in time, before she ducked under an energy ball.

"Penny! No! Come on! He can't be vanquished. Your best bet is leaving now!" the Whitelighter insisted. He orbed himself, Patty, and her daughter, over to the older witch, and grabbed her hand.

"Fine," she grumbled, "But this isn't over."

Belthazor threw another set of energy balls at the family, but it was too late. They were gone. He roared in rage, throwing energy balls at everything in sight. How could he fail again? Who were these witches? Even the child had such power over him. He had one day left on his deadline and he had no idea what he was doing. He cursed himself for getting distracted by the babbling child rather than killing Patty when he had the chance. Tomorrow he would not make the same mistake. Even if that child was there, he would take no notice and kill Patty one way or another. He would have to, or face dire consequences.

* * *

On the last day of his deadline, Belthazor waited in the shadows of the parking lot, waiting for Patty to arrive. He waited 3 hours, but she never showed up. Desperate to avoid failure, he shimmered around town, trying to spot her. When he finally resigned himself to facing the wrath of the Source for his inability to finish his task, he shimmered down to the Underworld. It was there that he learned of his salvation. Patty was dead. A lower level demon had taken advantage of a moment of distraction and killed her. While he was normally furious when another demon took out one of his hits, this time he felt relief. There was something about that family that made him uneasy, and he was glad to be off that assignment. Now he could leave San Francisco once more, filing away yet another bad memory associated with the city.

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**Has anyone else wondered who wrote the initial entry on Cole in the Book of Shadows? Hopefully this provided one possibility :) Please let me know what you think!**


	3. August 1986

**Thanks to Joleca for your reviews :) I don't own Charmed or its characters.**

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_August 4__th__ 1986_

Cole swaggered into the bar smirking. He ordered a shot of tequila and sat down at the bar. Gulping the drink down, he savoured the look of pride on Raynor's face as he passed another near impossible task. The witch had been hard to kill no doubt, but Cole had made it look easy, finishing the two week mission in just a couple of days. The whole Underworld was buzzing with the news.

He had now been in San Francisco for five years, and they had been much kinder to him than his three previous trips. He was no longer a mere hit-man, but was now involved in much more complex and covert plans. He had excelled at every challenge hurled his way.

Ordering another drink, Cole sensed a presence beside him. He turned his head, the tiny glass in his hand, and almost dropped it. He set it down carefully, his eyes widening.

"Aren't you too young to be in here?" he asked.

Beside him, a young girl, with two braids, shrugged her head. "I'm ten. I'm with my dad."

"You have to be 21 to drink."

"I'm not drinking."

"Then why are you in a bar?"

"I'm with my dad." The girl rolled her eyes. "Duh."

"Actually you're here with me. Duh." Cole couldn't hold back a grin.

The girl rolled her eyes again. "Whatever. He's sleeping right now, but when he wakes up again we'll go get some ice-cream."

Cole followed her gaze to a man passed out over a table. Pity began eating at the edges of his heart.

"Ice-cream huh? How about I get you a drink while you wait?"

The girl raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "My sister told me not to drink stuff strangers gave me."

"Didn't your sister tell you not to talk to strangers?" Cole shot back.

The girl opened her mouth to answer, then shut it again, turning away with a "hmph."

"Hey, come on," Cole laughed, touching her shoulder gently.

A spark of electricity flowed from the point of contact, all throughout his body, and he dropped his hand immediately.

The girl turned around, clearly startled as well. Her caramel coloured eyes bore into his sky blue ones, searching for something. She quirked up the left side of her mouth, "I'll have what you're having."

"Tequila? How about a Coke instead?" He smiled as the girl pouted. He motioned to the bartender. "A Coke over here please, and another tequila... and an empty shot glass please."

As his order was passed along to him, he carefully poured some of the Coke into the empty shot glass, and set it in front of his companion. Grabbing one of his tequila shots, he tipped the liquid into his mouth and swallowed it with a loud gulp.

"Your turn. Drink up your 'tequila'" He used air quotes, and nodded at the Coke in front of her.

She grinned up at him, and copied Cole's actions, gulping down the Coke. Her smile faded slightly as she clutched her throat. "Ow, that hurts."

"Yeah I know. At least you can practice with Coke for eleven years before you try the real stuff."

"Why drink stuff that hurts?"

Cole hesitated. "You sure ask a lot of questions."

"You keep answering them."

Cole sighed. "Sometimes when people have grown up problems, they hurt more than the drink."

"Like my daddy. He's still sad about my mummy. She died." She looked down at the counter, tracing patterns with her index finger.

"I'm sorry." Beneath the chatty, witty exterior, this girl obviously had her own demons. The pity grew. "My dad died when I was little too."

"I'm sorry. Maybe we need some drink pain." She poured more coke into her glass, only spilling a bit, and tipped it down her throat.

Cole followed suit with his own drink. "Better?"

The little girl shrugged, "A little. You?"

"Yeah. A little." Cole checked his watch. "I have to go." The girl's face fell. He looked at the table supporting her dad, whose face was now half soaked in drool. "How long does your dad take to wake up?"

"He usually takes me home in the morning. I'm always late for school."

The morning? The guy left his ten year old alone in a bar for hours? "Can't someone take you home? Don't you have a sister?"

"She doesn't like my dad. He's not around that much. And when he is..."

"He takes you to a bar and leaves you alone. Why do you come? Why don't you stay with your sister?"

"I'm with my dad."

"Not this again. You're not really with him, remember?"

"Yeah, maybe not now. But for an hour every few months, I get to be with my dad."

Cole was amazed. For a second, he forgot about demons and the Underworld. He forgot that he had killed fifteen people within the last month. For a second he wished more than anything, that there were more people in the world like this little girl. Her mum was dead, and her father was a deadbeat but she still had the capacity for love and forgiveness.

"You're good."

The girl looked up in confusion. "What?"

"You're good," Cole repeated.

"Um thanks," the girl said, before bursting into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Cole furrowed his brow.

"It's just that no one ever calls me good. I'm the bad one. My sister calls me the devil."

Cole laughed and patted her on the shoulder, his hand tingling from the contact. "I've met the devil, and I can definitely say you're nothing like him." He winked at her.

"I wish I could tell my sister that, but she'd be real mad if I told her I was talking to a stranger. And dad would get in big trouble from my Grams if she knew where he took me."

He should get in trouble, Cole thought. Maybe I'll pay him a _visit_ later. No, that would just hurt this little girl more. I couldn't bear the thought of causing her more pain.

"Don't you have to go mister?"

Cole smiled at the girl. "Maybe I can keep you company till your dad wakes up?"

"Really?" the girl smiled widely. At Cole's nod, she called over the bartender. "More Cokes and keep them coming!"

Cole laughed and ordered himself a Coke as well.

"What happened to your tequila?" The girl scrunched her face up.

"We're drinking buddies now," Cole declared. "You can't drink tequila, so I better have your poison of choice."

Her face lit up. "You're really silly. Thanks for staying."

As Cole babysat his new friend for hours until her father finally woke up, he felt happiness he had never experienced before. His mood had declined from the earlier high of his kill, and meeting this little girl, with her own troubles, had certainly dampened his spirits. But still, he had fun bantering back and forth with his sharp tongued friend. Every time he made her smile, he felt a little thrill, much stronger than the ones he got when he made a kill. He knew he wouldn't see her again. It would be dangerous for her if any demon thought Belthazor was attached to a human child. While he had numerous admirers, any one of them would be chomping at the bit to take his place. He would avoid this bar just in case. But tonight, just for this one night, he wanted to give her a fun night that didn't involve being surrounded by loud drunk slobs that could do anything to her while her father lay down oblivious. He chatted to her about her school, and her friends, and her hopes and dreams, and shared a little of his own experiences, mostly from law school. He sat with her shotting down Coke till her father finally woke up. She shot him a warning glance, and he nodded. He turned away, tending to his own drink as her father came up to the bar and hugged her. He said sorry for making her wait, and Cole cringed as the girl hugged him back and said it hadn't been that long anyway. The pair headed for the door, the girl clutching her father's hand tightly. Cole watched them with a small smile on his face. As they reached the door, the girl turned around and waved. Cole's smile grew, and he gulped down the last shot of Coke before shimmering back down to the Underworld for his next assignment.

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**Let me know what you guys think!**


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